Foam Roller Galore

[CBDB]

I think I’m on my way to persuading Hidden how good foam rolling is. For runners, they are so great!

When starting to run I did a bit of rolling and didn’t know why everyone thought it was so good. 9 months on, and all my muscles have tightened, and I notice muscle nots in areas I never experienced them before. That is a good thing, muscles will get tighter, so foam rolling became increasingly important to me.

So here my growing collection of foam rollers (which are often not made out of foam):

Purple-specked: We got that one at Aldi for 5 or 6 quid. No nubs, rather smooth, and with the core being able to be taken out, e.g. softer. Believe it or not, it often gets used in bed on my calf muscles, when rolling just that tiny bit at night to release those knots before going to sleep. 🤣

Yellow-green-nubbled: Hollow but very firm and the nubbles (?) help with ‘getting in there’. Shortest one and this is my preferred one. I think it’s steel and rubber. As it is so short, it can really reach inner thigh in a sort of commando-crawl style of posture.

Blue-long: Made out of solid foam. There are quite a few Pilates movements that use a longer roller, so this comes in handy. (Pilates seems to like long things: longer mat, longer roller, longer bench). It’s great for doing both legs at once, or your back.

Spikey massage ball: great for inside feet (arches) and general focussed pressure. But I don’t work with that one as much. But if you have someone else rolling this on your back .... 😊😚☺️

Anyone have some other fancy or odd rollers?

[Maddee_6333]

That is some collection 🙂

Maybe posting new ones will become a thing in here, like posting new shoes?

I just have the one, a short orange number that has nubbly bits and smooth bits.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to Maddee_6333]

Yes, wouldn’t that be nice! We can start a trend!

In reality I also can call only 1 ‘mine’, the rest are ones that my husband gathered over the years and I told him off, as no one was using these. Now I’m glad he did and they all have moved over to my corner 😂 and I use them all the time!

[Maddee_6333 in reply to CBDB]

Love it! 😅

[Hidden]

Thanks CBDB, I think I’m foam roller shopping this weekend 🛍🤗

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to Hidden]

Wow!! 🤩 you gotta post a picture, though! And together with Maddee_6333 we can start a trend! 😃

[Hidden in reply to CBDB]

👍

[linda9389]

I love rolling a spiky ball under my feet - one of my pilates classes slways starts that way. I have a short nubbed roller and a long smooth one. I prefer the smooth one, but agree there are a lot of advantages in the smaller ones. Nothing like your impressive collection though 👍😀

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to linda9389]

Well we might just have to see a picture of your nubbed roller and spikey ball! 😀

Yes, I think I read on here that using it on your arches is great if you have difficulties with your foot arches. Just feels great though, as well!

[linda9389 in reply to CBDB]

Plus it must have some benefits along the lines of reflexology - wakening up other parts of the body.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to linda9389]

👍🏽 Must try that more regularly! 🙏 Not just ask hubby to roll it around on my back 🤣🤣

[linda9389 in reply to CBDB]

Another thing we used to do in pilates is take two of them, position them between your back and the wall and then just squirm around letting them massage your back! For that and for feet we use the inflatable spiky balls. I also have one hard spiky ball which is far less pleasant!!!

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to linda9389]

Sounds like you got quite a collection yourself! 👍🏽

[Blackberrypie]

I confess I have the laziest foam roller workout - I sit on a gliding rocking chair with a foam roller on the gliding footstool, and I read a book and foam roll my legs in comfort

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to Blackberrypie]

That sounds just brilliant!🤩🤩🤩

Yes, I also often have the foam roller on the couch while watching TV or reading a book, although I’m rather conscious of the fact that I’m neglecting to foam roll certain areas I can’t get at that way. Therefore my weekly systematic foam roller workout following a video.

But yeah! Doing it on a rocking chair sounds like perfection! 👍🏽💪

[Brookjogger]

I have pulled my calf muscle and had to suddenly stop my run and was quite depressed. Searching found your post, and I realised I have my pilates roller to call on - didn't connect it with running, but of course! Thank you for useful post, and your photo showing the range there are.

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold in reply to Brookjogger]

Oh, so sorry for you being on the IC. But great for you to have found us on Strength & Flex. You can probably also find workouts that are gentle on legs, like arms only workouts. And enjoy your foam roller (and be gentle to your calf muscles).